Ethan Embra and the demon's curse
by BloodNGore
Summary: Grieving after the death of his grandmother, Ethan just wants to get home from school without another bully beat down. Instead he gets a spider-demon intent on smashing him to pulp. Ethan's magic is triggered by the attack. Now, it's goodbye miserable life, hello Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One.**

Rain mixed with Ethan Embra's tears as he struggled through the street.

_Stop it, _he rubbed his eyes furiously. _You couldn't have done anything. No one can stop death.  
_He shielded his face as he walked to school,trying to push the tears back in.  
Crying in public would just make Ethan a bigger target for them. He looked back to make sure they weren't there. Paranoia had been a constant ghost at his shoulder since the first attack.  
Sleet soaked Ethan's uniform and reduced his black hair to a sodden mop.  
It had been a bad night, maybe his worst nightmare so far and it wouldn't stop replaying itself his head.  
Maggots had taken up residence in one of her eye sockets. The other eye had stared at Ethan in accusation.  
The cloying stench of death had made him gag.  
"Why," his grandmother croaked, "why did you let me die Ethan?"  
"Gran," he'd cried, "Gran, I'm so sorry."  
The carcass cackled, its black tongue lolling, "You were never good enough boy. I'm glad I'm free of you now. You're pathetic, worthless. Your own parents didn't want you."  
"Please Gran, please, I…"  
She rose to her feet, stretching out one rotting hand.  
"Gran."  
Ethan had screamed as talons clawed out chunks of his chest and he woke up trembling.

He'd left the children's home as soon as he dressed, blazing with horror and anger. Ethan wished he could physically grab the nightmares and rip them into pieces. If he'd just been there, he could've called an ambulance, he could've…

It had been over five months since she died and yet he still missed Gran terribly.  
She'd been the only person he'd ever loved and the only person who'd ever loved him.  
He was alone in the world now.

"Oi!"  
Ethan recognised the voice straight away. His body went cold.

It was happening again.

He was almost resigned to it, but that didn't mean he'd surrender without trying to escape.

He broke into a run, hounded by the laughter of his pursuers. Water fled from a bruised sky and gusts of wind snatched at him with invisible claws.

There was no one to witness what Ethan knew was about to happen. What happened at least three times a week since he'd been abandoned in this town. He veered into the nearest alley in an attempt to hide.

He soon realised his mistake.

Alone. Cornered. _Trapped_.

At the end of the alleyway loomed a metal fence, blocking his escape. Ethan knew his chance was slim, but he was determined to try. He threw himself at the gate, groping for a hold and attempting to pull himself up and over. Two rough hands seized him.

One minute he clung to the cold metal, the next he bounced off the hard ground, was hauled back to his feet and thrown against the unforgiving steel.

_Please, just let it be over quick._

His whole body trembled and he could taste bile in the back of his throat. The three thugs laughed in his face.

"What's the rush, Ev?" Ollie snarled.

He opened his mouth to speak. Ollie slapped it hard.

"What you gonna' do, mate?" Ollie taunted. "Go on, hit me."

Before Ethan could reply, all the wind rushed out of him as Ollie's fist slammed into his stomach. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.

He loathed himself for not having the courage to fight back, but he was just a scrawny fifteen-year-old. Ollie was only a year older, but double his size.  
"Please stop," Ethan groaned, trying not to let the tears fall.

"Ah, is the little girl gonna' cry? For god's sake, hit me back, you whiny bitch."

Ethan clenched his fists.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? I've never done anything to you."

"Because no one would give a damn if we killed you right here, right now!"

Ethan didn't have an answer. Ollie was right.  
Ethan closed his eyes and braced himself. It would be over quickly. Maybe the pain could distract him from thinking about Gran for a while.

"Huh," Ollie paused, "it's no fun if they don't struggle," he stared at Ethan contemptuously.  
"C'mon lads, lets find someone else to kick the crap out of."  
Relief flooded through Ethan for a split second, until he realised Ollie and his cohorts wouldn't stop until they'd had their fun.  
He saw tiny Tommy Browning across the street. In a moment Ollie would spot him. Ethan knew Ollie had targeted Tommy before and Tommy was so much younger and more vulnerable than himself.  
As the thugs walked away Ethan called out, anger and fear warring inside him.  
"No!"  
Ollie turned back, shocked.  
If they were going to beat up someone, Ethan would rather take the bullet than let someone else suffer.

"C'mon then Ollie you fat pig. I'm right here."

Ollie roared and rushed forwards, smashing into him like a crazed bull, raining down blows without mercy.

Again and again Ethan's body rocked and quivered from the impact.

All three bullies screamed incoherently.

Ethan was silent.

The beat down was worse than usual, the pain was becoming too much. Through a gap in Ollie's failing limbs, Ethan saw a faint trail of inky black smoke snake across the ground. The smoke looked ready to seize Ollie's ankle, but then it dissipated.

Finally Ethan's torture came to an end as the punches ceased.

"Try that again mate and we'll kill you, that's a promise."

Ollie punctuated his threat with a last kick to the stomach.

Ethan covered his face, gritting his teeth and trying not to cry out at the pain.

Their laughter haunted him as they sauntered out of the alley, leaving him curled up in a ball against the cold metal fence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

The sleet worsened, turning to a hailstorm that chilled him to the bone. Ethan stumbled home, hunched over, face pulled tight in a grimace. The downpour beat against his aching body and the wind crawled across his skin, cold as a corpse's caress.

He walked through the gates of Helken Place and up the winding path to the children's home. He entered the drab building and stomped up the stairs to his room.

He wanted to cry again as he closed the bedroom door, but it wouldn't help. Nothing would.

He stripped off his school clothes and slumped on to his bed.

_Just one more year, one more year and I'll be done with school, free of Ollie. Free of everyone. _Ethan had to tell himself that; he had to, to keep himself sane.

He looked in the mirror to check the bruises. As usual his pale face was marred by ugly abrasions. His left cheek had swollen to near double its usual size. He lifted up his shirt and winced at the discolouration there. He told the Orphanage staff he just kept falling over. They asked no further questions, they didn't care.

He would've liked to call himself tall, dark and handsome. Really he was only a bit taller than average, his hair a light mahogany and he wasn't handsome. At least no one had ever told him he was. Dark grey eyes, made darker by pale skin, stared back at him miserably. Oddly his eyes were inked with black specks around the iris.

Ethan pulled up the chair by his desk and sat down to write. Writing was his favourite, well only- hobby.

Pages and pages of his scrawling littered the untidy desk that reflected the rest of his room. He picked one at random and began reading.

This one was about his hero Alwar. Alwar was the exact opposite of himself. Strong, courageous, amazing in every way, he was the stuff of legend. Ethan loved writing about his many adventures.

With the warrior Alwar he could lose himself, forget his grandma's death and his miserable life. He could escape. He could make Alwar conquer terrible opponents and the most ferocious of beasts. Ethan himself couldn't even face Ollie and his gang.

He peered out of his small window, noticing the hail had now morphed into heavy clumps of snow that splattered onto the ground, lighting the garden with a ghostly sheen.

Ethan forced everything else out of his head as he began writing. He wrote long into the night, fully immersing himself in his imagined worlds, gladly allowing reality to slip away.

Winter descended upon Elfort, its cold touch bathing the streets. Snow fell heavily, carpeting roads and walkways. Not even a street lamp glowed as silence ruled the midnight hour.

In a dark alleyway, the shadowy veils of night were broken as light filtered through a gap in space and time. The beam of light flashed scarlet as it expanded and morphed.

Out of the swirling portal stepped a monstrosity not meant to touch this world; a demon from the blackest of hells.

Quickly, he distorted his features, transforming to what could pass for a man as long as no human looked close.

He took in a deep breath, inhaling the air of Earth, inhaling the air of men.

It appeared he had come to the right place.

The demon's lips hooked up; it had been a long time since he was last in this realm. He would take great delight in killing the boy, regardless of his Master's orders.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three.**

Ethan trudged through grey oceans of snow on his way to school. His whole body shivered and his hands grew numb as the cold bit deep.

He was alone, as always. Not even a car drove across the snow-laden streets.  
His Grandmother's face haunted his thoughts. Ethan had accidentally knocked her photo off his desk this morning. The glass had been shattered. She was smiling in that photo, her face kind and warm. Her face had been cold and slack when he'd found her. _Her body was there, but she wasn't, she was gone, she…_

Ethan forced the memory away. He wouldn't think about that, he couldn't.

She wasn't his real grandmother; he had been abandoned by whoever his parents were, just like he had been abandoned in Elfort now.

He rounded the corner and Elfort School came into view. A typical England Comprehensive, grey and crowded.

But Ethan was late; no one else was walking towards the gates.

Except one.  
A tall figure stood not far from the path. As Ethan walked closer the feeling of dread engulfed him. For some reason, he was undeniably terrified of whatever waited at the gates. He didn't know why. Everything just felt _wrong._

He froze, not wanting to get any closer to the school and the figure ahead.

With agonising slowness the stranger's face, which was half obscured by a scarf and low hanging hat, turned to face Ethan and look right at him.

Ethan gazed in horror at the repulsive figure. His fear was so strong he wanted to turn and run away as fast as he could, but he was rooted to the spot.

Terror clutched at Ethan's mind, squeezing his stomach and constricting his chest. He had the innate feeling this stranger meant him grievous harm.

A group of girls abruptly burst out of the gates, giggling as they ran across the road. The stranger turned away fast and walked in the opposite direction. Soon he'd disappeared from view, swathed by the screeching wind and swirling snow.

Ethan breathed heavily, trying to stuff down the panic and bile crawling up his throat.

He had no idea what just happened. He was chilled to the bone, and not because of the snow.

Trying to shake it from his thoughts, he proceeded towards the school. Once he thought he heard a note of high pitched laughter carrying on the wind.

He must have imagined it.

Throughout the rest of the school day Ethan couldn't stop thinking about that strange figure and the sense of dread it had caused him. _What was that?_

He was so distracted that he paid less attention in class than usual. He was panic-stricken when it came to the end of the day- not of Ollie and his gang, but that the stranger might be back. That _thing_ frightened Ethan more than Ollie ever could.

He walked out of his English class with great trepidation, trying to fight the urge to run all the way to the Orphanage. He was almost relieved to see only Ollie and his friends at the gates, almost.  
Ethan attempted to walk past them unseen, trying to blend in with the other students, but as always, Ollie spotted him. Since Ethan had first arrived and answered one too many questions in his English lesson, the thug had made his life hell.  
The smoke of Ollie's cigarette lingered about his nostrils, furthering his resemblance to an angry bull.

"Oi, Umbra!"

Ollie had four friends with him today and all five of them chased Ethan as he broke into a sprint.

Adrenaline coursed through Ethan's veins as he darted between pedestrians and cars, cutting across the road in a desperate attempt to shake them.

The thick snow made it harder to get away, but then again it made it hard for the ones chasing him as well. The streets retreated and Elfort Park came into view. He was nearly at the orphanage now. He'd never made it home before they'd gotten hold of him though.

Using the bench by the park fence as a step, Ethan vaulted over and almost fell face first into the snow on the other side. Regaining his balance using the roundabout in the empty park, he pushed off and continued to sprint away. Vaulting the fence had cost him. Ollie and his thugs made the jump easily and as Ethan moved away from the roundabout, Ollie caught the back of his coat and swung him around with ruthless force. Ethan's world was whipped from one side to the other and he veered sideways, tripping over and sprawling in the wet snow.

A cruel chorus of laughter broke out amongst Ollie's friends but the leader himself wasn't smiling. Perhaps he felt especially vicious today.

Before Ethan could get to his feet, Ollie booted him back down.

"Why do you always run, eh?" he snarled.  
Ollie aimed a kick, but Ethan rolled away from him and leaped to his feet.

"C'mon then Ev," Ollie shoved him again, "Do sumin'," this time he landed a punch to the jaw. Ethan crumpled under the blow.

"Get up," Ollie bellowed.

Ethan's anger rose to a crescendo within him, but still he lacked the courage to let it loose. Ollie seized his coat and hauled him to his feet.

"Look at you, you're nothing," he spat, his nose almost touching Ethan's.

The other boys screamed abuse, threatening to beat Ethan to within an inch of his life.

_I don't deserve this_. He could feel tears at the back of his eyes.  
"Aww, you gonna' cry again mate?"  
Ollie's gang shrieked their mirth.  
"Don't see him fighting back today, do we boys?" Ollie looked to his peers for encouragement.  
"You really are pathetic, aren't you Ethan? Tell me, is it true you're not even an Orphan; you just live in a children's home because your parents abandoned you? I can see why they would."  
Ethan's anger blazed to within an inch of the surface. It felt like the blood in his head was banging against his skull, trying to leak out of his ears.

"Do sumin' Ethan, I dare ya." Ollie's fat lips curved to a wicked smile.  
"You know how they always say in class, how if you stand up to bullies they'll leave you alone, well it doesn't help does it? It just makes things that much worse," he said the last three words slowly, savouring each one.  
"What should we do to 'im boys? Beat 'im bloody like we always do or rip all his clothes off and send him back to that orphanage naked? That'll be a laugh. Maybe we should stub out our cig's on 'im, give 'im a few scars. Or maybe we should bury 'im next to his dear dead granny."

Ethan snapped.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four.**

Ethan's fist smashed into Ollie's mouth. The bully's head jerked backwards as his laughter cut off. Ethan launched a second blow to the jaw then another at his throat. Choking, Ollie staggered backwards. Ethan hurled himself at him, his vision distorted red. Again and again he wreaked his vengeance on the boy that had tortured him for months. Abruptly hands clutched at his arms and hurled him to the ground.

Ethan landed a short way off, his head hitting the ice hard. Reeling, he made to get up and attack again. Before he could the mass of Ollie's gang barrelled into him, bundling him to the ground. Ethan's breath was crushed out of him as the four kicked him in stomach, back, and chest. Dizzy and disorientated, his vision no longer a vivid red but a dull blur, he was dragged back to his feet again as Ollie struggled to stand in front of him, blood streaming down his face.

"You shouldn't have done that," he rasped through mashed lips.

Ethan stared back at him in defiance, his fear of these savage bullies erased.

He wouldn't be their victim today. He had finally fought back and he would keep fighting back every time they came for him. Eventually they'd learn to leave him alone, _they had to_.

Ollie's grin was feral as his hand slipped into his pocket, his cohorts egging him on. One word screamed through Ethan's mind—_knife!_

He had seen Ollie showing one to his mates last week, chortling as he slashed it through the air. Sure enough, he produced a flick knife from his pocket.

As Ollie advanced his eyes abruptly widened in fear as he saw something over Ethan's shoulder.

Ethan fell to the floor yet again as the gang let go of him with high pitched shrieks and ran from him as fast as they could, terror hounding their steps.

Blood trickling from his nose had stained the white snow; blood so dark it was almost black.

A shadow had fallen behind him.

Ethan's shakes turned to violent trembles as he guessed what had scared off the others. What it was that cast that shadow, what loomed directly behind him.

Ollie's gang dissipated from view, leaving their leader to stare frozen at the shadow behind Ethan.

Something long, black and sharp suddenly stretched over Ethan's head, careening into Ollie's forehead with a squelch. Ollie's mouth gaped open for a second before the black spike arced upward, taking Ollie's head clean off with it. Blood vomited from Ollie's torso as it fell convulsing to the ground.

Terror ripped through Ethan's mind, consuming all thought and setting his blood afire. Horror clenched his stomach and gripped his heart.

He turned and came face to face with a creature born out of the most unbelievable nightmare.

The hat was gone and the scarf had dropped to the ground. The stranger ripped off the rest of its garments, revealing monstrosity in its true form.

Before Ethan crouched a hideous contortion of mangled limbs. Its yellow slavering fangs were inches from Ethan's throat and the glare of its three green eyes was bloodcurdling.

The black spike that still had Ollie's head speared on the end like a grisly cocktail stick was only one of eight great legs. The monster was like some amalgamation of giant spider and grotesque troll from Ethan's fantasy stories.

The creature leapt upon Ethan in an instant, its spike inches away from Ethan's shoulder as it pinned his coat to the ground.

As Ethan stared into those gigantic green eyes he saw only horror.

"You're weak childling," the monstrosity hissed.

Ethan didn't know how, he didn't know why. His mind should have collapsed in madness. He should have been paralysed with mind numbing fear, but somehow, something erupted within him.

He felt a force, a rising tidal wave of energy that burst out of him. Faced with such absolute evil and the threat of imminent death, his power awoke.

Bright emerald flames shot forth from his outstretched hands.

The creature roared as the fire blasted into him, throwing him back to land in a sprawl of spidery limbs. The stench of roasting flesh filled Ethan's senses as he staggered to his feet, staring at his unblemished hands in disbelief.

The fear was there, undeniably, but so was the power still surging through him. He didn't understand, nothing like this had ever happened before, it was impossible. His hands didn't even feel warm.

Before Ethan had time to work out exactly how he'd caused fire to burst from his fingertips, the monster was on him again.

This time all of its arms reached out and seized him. Ethan was thrust forwards into the beasts, hairy, slimy chest. The monster clutched him tight, as if it intending to crush him to pulp.

Ethan was spun round in its arms and the creature used one of its limbs to pull out a long thin object that had been sheathed inside its very skin.

The object glowed scarlet, transforming into a wide portal that swirled and crackled like lightning.

None of this could be happening, Ollie's headless corpse, a giant spider monster, flames that burst from his hands. Ethan would've tried to pinch himself and awake from this nightmare if he wasn't so horrified by everything around him.

The monster stepped into the portal, taking Ethan with it.

The portal took hold and Ethan was hurled into a chaotic swirling mass, the world disappeared in an instant, only to be replaced by another.

The great beast landed on solid ground, holding Ethan in its two lower arms.

Screaming and thrashing, Ethan tried to escape, but the creature had him locked in an iron embrace.

"I didn't realise how powerful you were," his captor mused, "I was going to feast on you myself, but you have great sorcery. I think I will gift you to my Queen instead. Yes," he muttered rapidly, "yes, yes, yes, my lovely queen will surely forgive me if I present her with a gift meant for Lord Kurrlan."

The demon's words fell on deaf ears as Ethan stared at his surroundings.

They stood on a narrow cliff face that jutted out above a sea of lava. Beyond their narrow ridge stood volcanic mountains and a ruined red landscape swathed in a mist of ash. Many of the volcanoes were tinged green and blue and one volcano hung suspended above the sea of fire, as if by magic. Above, the sky was painted a vicious magma to rival the sea below, with stars that were big black balls of fire.  
This wasn't Earth, this wasn't anywhere that should be, could be real.

Ethan continued to struggle feverishly against his captor, but the demon only laughed. Roaring in pain, fury and fear, Ethan aimed a punch at the beast's head. To his astonishment a green blaze lurched from his hand again.  
The demon's laugh curdled to a yell of agony and Ethan fell from his grasp to the ground.

As the monster staggered, Ethan crawled across the ruined red earth, making for edge of the cliff face. He'd rather throw himself into the volcanic sea than be eaten alive.

Ethan scrambled to his feet as the giant spider-beast charged, but before he could take another step the demon plunged its black spike into Ethan's stomach.


End file.
